Mass die-off of Saiga antelopes in Central Kazakhstan

Steffen Zuther

Since the 10th of May, a mass die-off of Saiga antelopes (Saiga tatarica tatarica) has been observed in the Betpak-Dala population in Central Kazakhstan. The first animals have been detected in Amangeldy district of Kostanay region, but soon further affected groups have been found not far from the first location, but also in other regions (Aktiubinsk and Akmola). To date, more than 120,000 animals have died..

Stray dogs on the prowl around tal-Chhaper sanctuary, Rajasthan, India

Tal chhaper Sanctuary is a unique grassland ecosystem and a home to the endangered species Blackbuck in Thar Desert of India but it's no longer a heaven for this species. It lies at N 27.81046º E 74.43501º in Sujangargh tehsil of Churu district of Rajasthan, India. These porous area boundaries make it easy for stray dogs to enter it from various neighboring villages. Once found in open plains throughout the country and the state of Rajasthan.

Bat monitoring in Georgia

Lela Urushadze

Bats are increasingly recognized as reservoirs of emerging zoonotic pathogens, such as lyssaviruses, paramyxoviruses, coronaviruses, filoviruses and other. Although the significance of bats as reservoirs of zoonotic diseases in the Caucasus region is unknown, we do know that West Caucasian bat virus circulates in Miniopterus schreibersii bats in the region.

Impact of Forest Degradation on Breeding Birds of the Talysh Mountains in the Azerbaijan Republic

Michael Heiss

Deciduous broadleaf forests of the northern hemisphere are one of the most threatened ecosystems on the earth. They occur in three major disjunct regions (western Eurasia, eastern Asia and eastern North America). Globally, the Hyrcanian forest is one of the most important deciduous broadleaf forests, due to its remarkably biodiversity, primeval conditions and large extension.

Action needed to protect the rare Sistan Scrub Sparrow and its habitat

The Sistan Scrub Sparrow Passer (moabiticus) yatii is a taxon endemic to the Sistan basin on the Afghan-Iran border. We searched for Sistan Scrub Sparrow in the wetlands on the Iranian side of the Sistan basin during a visit to Iran in December 2010. At least 300 Sistan Scrub Sparrows were found in the dry basin of the Hamoun-e Saberi lake. No Sistan Scrub Sparrows were found at the Chah Nimeh water reservoir, along the River Hirmand on the Afghan border and at an irrigated site near Zahak.

Creation of water reservoirs contributing to population increase of Spur-winged Lapwing in Cyprus

Iris Charalambidou

The Spur-winged Lapwing, an Afro-tropical bird occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa, Egypt, southeast Europe and the Middle East, was first recorded in Cyprus in 1820. Up until the 1990s it was a common migrant, with few overwintering and one breeding record. While recent data indicated it had become a regular winter visitor and breeding bird, no island-wide assessment of the distribution and population size of this species had ever been carried out despite the relatively small size of Cyprus (9,250 km2 in area).